THE HAGUE, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of bankruptcies in the Netherlands rose for the second month in a row in March, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) reported in its Trend Report Business for March 2022.

       According to calculations by the KvK, the number of bankruptcies was 160 in March, which was 22 percent more than in March 2021. In February, the number of bankruptcies was 17 percent higher than in February last year.

       During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of bankruptcies fell sharply, with, for instance, only 1,536 companies going bankrupt in 2021, the lowest number since 1990. This was mainly due to the pandemic support measures taken by the government and also the deferral of tax payment.

       As a result, companies that might have gone bankrupt in a normal time were able to survive. Now, with the support measures being stopped this month and inflation and energy prices rising, the number of bankruptcies is going up.